The End of a Dynasty

by David Adkins

  The next morning I tried to see the unfortunate Alamanni princess but a bitter Gerde barred the way. “She does not wish to see any Romans.”

  “I understand that but I just wanted to ask if there was anything I could do to help,” I explained.

  “You can keep that vile Emperor of yours away from her,” she hissed.

  “For your own sake be careful what you say,” I warned her and left the Alamanni wagon.

  Ima remained in her wagon all the way to Cusum, looked after by Gerde and seeing nobody, except on another bleak evening when Domitian commanded her to come to him and forced himself on her once again.

  It was near the end of Iunius when our army reached Neoplanta and to our surprise we had got this far without having to fight a single engagement. Neoplanta was a small settlement of wooden huts with a brick-built fortress situated on the north side of the great river. There Domitian made the decision that the two legions under the command of Sextus Fronto should camp just outside of Neoplanta. The auxiliaries under the command of Manius Glabrio would occupy the fortress and make it even more secure. It was to be our base for raids into both Quadi and Marcomanni territory. Domitian would spend a week in Cusum under the protection of Otho and the Praetorian Guard and then rejoin Fronto in Neoplanta for the campaign against the Quadi. It had been decided that as the Quadi were much fewer in number than the Marcomanni they posed a much smaller threat. Domitian believed that in a couple of months they could be brought to their knees and then we could concentrate on subjugating the much larger tribe, the Marcomanni.

  The plan was to take the two legions into Quadi territory and leave the auxiliaries to help the resident garrison to defend Neoplanta and Cusum against any possible threat from the Marcomanni, while the legions were on campaign. Domitian with me and the Praetorians in tow would join Fronto within a week and the Quadi campaign would then begin. Cusum was a good place to spend a week for, unlike Neoplanta, there were some fine buildings and though there was squalor there were also some of the finer trappings of Roman civilisation.

  Things did not go according to plan for within two days of our arrival in Cusum Domitian began to feel unwell. He quickly began to deteriorate and weaken and it became obvious that campaigning for him would be out of the question in the immediate future. At first I had thought that Domitian was feigning illness to get out of the hardships of the impending campaign but it soon became apparent that this was not the case. From his sick bed he made the decision to go ahead with the plan and that Fronto should lead the legions against the Quadi alone, while his Emperor recovered in Cusum.

  The Quadi territory was to the north west of Cusum while the Marcomanni lands were to the north east. I watched from the south bank of the river as preparations were made and then I watched as the two legions, consisting of about nine thousand men, began their march to the northwest to seek out the Quadi. The auxiliaries, under the command of Glabrio, remained to defend the fortress and the bridge against any possible attack but we did seem suddenly vulnerable without the presence of the two legions.

  Domitian continued to deteriorate and could not keep down much food. He became obsessed with the belief that he was being poisoned but his food tasters tried everything he ate before he did and so that was obviously out of the question. I tended to him with the other servants but secretly hoped that he would pass to the other world. If he were to die then the campaign against the Dacians would probably be called off and Corelia would get her freedom. I had little sympathy for him after recent actions and history but Ima was at least safe from his clutches for the time being. It did cross my mind that I could, with the assistance of a cushion, help him on his way but that was far too dangerous as there were always attendants with him, including members of the Guard.

  The weeks went by and our Emperor showed no sign of improvement. He was often in pain, often vomiting and continually losing weight. He was most of the time in his bed while his world carried on its business around him. It was now midsummer and very hot and the heat also seemed to have a detrimental effect on him, as he often had difficulty breathing. All of Cusum’s resident doctors attended to him but none seemed to know the nature of his illness or how to cure him. It was when the illness was at its peak that Otho received a message from Manius Glabrio that put the whole of Cusum on a war footing. Glabrio’s scouts had spotted a Marcomanni force of several thousand men on the march and had reported the news straight back to Glabrio, who had in turn informed Otho. It seemed that the intended destination for this host was Neoplanta and Cusum and their likely arrival time was just a few days away.

  Once again I watched from the river bank as preparations were made to defend the twin towns located on either side of the Danube. Most of Glabrio’s auxiliaries retreated into the fortress and the rest took up positions to defend the bridge into Cusum. It would be very difficult for an opposing army to reach the bridge because they would have to pass under the towers of the fortress and suffer sustained attack from the battlements. The bridge was narrow and easily defendable and could always be fired if the attackers were enjoying success. I worried that they might cross the river at another point but that would be extremely difficult for them to undertake, and therefore unlikely. Cusum seemed secure but Neoplanta less so. We could now only await the attack that seemed imminent and I found a vantage point at the top of a watch tower in Cusum to view proceedings. The Emperor was fairly oblivious to all that was happening for as the days went by he passed in and out of awareness. It was just two days later that the enemy appeared.

  Even I could see that the Marcomanni army was not as numerous as had first been reported. There were perhaps two thousand warriors at most setting up camp just outside Neoplanta and they showed no immediate sign of launching an attack on the fortress. They must have realized that there were almost one thousand defenders and they would, therefore, have no chance of taking it, particularly as they had no siege engines. They would not even know that the defenders were inexperienced auxiliaries. They had obviously hoped to take advantage of the absence of the legions by attacking their base while the Romans searched for the elusive Quadi foe. They now saw that this was not possible as the fortress was impregnable and their only possible hope of success was to starve out the large garrison. This also was hardly an option, for supplies from Cusum could not be stopped from getting through and so I wondered what they would do next.

  That question was answered the next morning. Ignoring the fortress and doing their best to keep out of the way of arrows fired from the fortress and missiles launched from it they proceeded to burn the small town of Neoplanta. There were no inhabitants to kill as they had all taken refuge in the fortress or in Cusum, but the destruction of buildings and dwellings was total. With the town burning it was now just a question as to whether they would launch an attack on the bridge and Cusum. The bridge was narrow and very heavily defended and we were ready to set fire to the bridge if necessary to stop them crossing in the unlikely event that they overwhelmed the defenders. The Marcomanni chieftain saw the hopelessness of an attack on the bridge or the fortress and withdrew his forces, satisfied that he had at least destroyed a small Roman town. The people of Cusum and the defenders of the fortress all felt a huge sense of relief that the danger had passed. Meanwhile on a bed in the grandest house in Cusum the Emperor was in a critical condition.

  The weeks dragged on and though Domitian remained very weak and poorly he had recovered slightly and the worst seemed to have passed. It was not until the beginning of autumn that he showed signs of gaining strength and was at last able to leave his sick bed. This coincided with the return of a triumphant Sextus Fronto who had inflicted numerous defeats on the Quadi at the cost of only a few men, though the Quadi had avoided major confrontations. Fronto had burnt many Quadi settlements and was convinced that he had inflicted such damage and losses that the Quadi were no longer a threat to Roman territory. He was, however, shocked to see the state of Neoplanta even though the town was in the process o
f being rebuilt after the Marcomanni raid.

  The Marcomanni would have to be taught a severe lesson but our generals believed that they were a much greater threat than the Quadi, and such a campaign would now have to wait until the spring. By then it was hoped that Domitian would have fully recovered and he would be able to ride, once again, at the head of his army. The winter was cold and wet and often bleak in these damp, northern lands but Domitian continued to regain his strength. It was a winter of rebuilding Neoplanta, of preparation for the coming campaign and of simply waiting for the finer weather to make it possible. A series of heavy storms and driving rain towards the end of winter caused much mud and wet ground which was not suitable for the movement of a large army, but as we went into early spring a dry period followed and we were just about ready to march north east into Marcomanni territory. The Emperor had by now fully recovered and regained all his former strength and zeal and was ready to totally destroy the barbarians, as he enthusiastically put it. Revenge for the destruction of Neoplanta was the cry throughout the legions. Ima, the Alamanni princess, had also been ill of late though I was sure that it was just despair at her situation and so it was decided to leave her behind in Cusum. Unfortunately it was not decided to leave me behind and I was once again assigned to the baggage train with Otho and the Praetorian Guard. The auxiliaries would also stay behind to defend and protect Neoplanta and Cusum, though an attack in our absence now seemed unlikely.

  On a bright spring morning the army left Neoplanta with Domitian, Sextus Fronto and Manius Glabrio riding at the head of the two legions, II Adiutrix and the III Italica, a force of about nine thousand men. We headed confidently into Marcomanni lands seeking retribution for their past raids on Roman territory and the destruction of Neoplanta.

  We spent the spring months seeking the enemy but never finding them. We passed through forests and plains in damp, unpleasant weather which eroded our spirits. The settlements we came upon had been abandoned but we raised them to the ground and continued our search for the elusive enemy. We were occasionally harassed by enemy warriors and although I felt a little exposed at times in the baggage train there was never a direct attack. We had now been on the march for eight weeks and the bad weather had been replaced by a hot summer sun and still we marched ever deeper into enemy territory. The Roman legions were well used to such adversity but even their moral was sinking slightly and our Emperor was getting increasingly agitated and frustrated.

  This was our situation when two of our scouts rode into camp at speed to inform us of a large Marcomanni force ahead. The army closed ranks and the baggage train drew closer to the infantry. We entered a large grass plain and in the distance on higher ground, which culminated in a steep hill, we saw the enemy force for the first time. They yelled insults that were carried to us on the wind and they shook their weapons in defiance but they showed no inclination to leave their chosen ground. It already seemed that if we were to have a battle then we would have to attack them and they would have the advantage of the terrain.

  Fronto called the army to a halt to consult with Domitian and Manius Glabrio, and as I was serving them refreshments I was privy to their conversation. Fronto shook his head as he sipped his watered-down wine. “It is not wise to attack them in these conditions. Our men are tired from the long march of the past weeks and they would have to attack uphill which is always exhausting. We have little cavalry and they have many which could harass our advance. They would also seem to outnumber us by several thousand warriors. I advise caution and patience and that we wait to see what they do next.”

  Domitian was far from happy and most impatient. “They are barbarians and would have no chance against our disciplined legions. I say we attack at once and get this thing over with.”

  “It is true that they are barbarians but we should not underestimate them. Barbarians have defeated Roman armies in the past particularly in these northern lands where they have enjoyed favourable conditions. We should not rush into an ill advised attack which would have our tired troops climbing uphill to get at the enemy.”

  Domitian was not impressed with Fronto’s advice. “They are just savages,” he spat.

  Glabrio intervened tactfully. “I think you are both right. They are just savages and ill disciplined but why not let us make sure of victory. Let us stay put for now. Our men will then get a rest and when they have rested we can goad the enemy into attacking us and we will then have more favourable conditions.”

  Domitian did not like it but Glabrio was his friend and he listened to him. “We will rest for a week and then we will provoke them into attacking us.”

  Fronto smiled, for he had got his way. “A wise decision, Emperor, let us make camp and post watches along the lines that we need now to set up and that way we will not be taken by surprise.”

  Domitian nodded and Fronto hurried off to give orders. “He is a good man though maybe a little cautious but that is not such a bad thing. We need to lose as few men as possible for we still have the Dacian campaign to conduct,” said Glabrio.

  Domitian nodded assent.

  As the week of stalemate drew to a close then our small cavalry began to goad the enemy by making sorties towards them, and shouting insults and firing arrows into their midst. The Marcomanni chieftain had obviously decided that the Romans would have to come to them if there was to be a battle. Fronto then ordered that some prisoners that we had taken during our long march would be slaughtered in full view of the Marcomanni. The goading continued and though the Marcomanni shouted insults back it was obvious that their patience was wearing thin. Perhaps their chieftain was having difficulty in controlling his unruly and impatient warriors.

  A week had passed and still Fronto advised caution despite Domitian’s restlessness and his desire for action. The next day, however, it was the Marcomanni that ran out of patience and they started to advance downhill. A delighted Fronto ordered his men into a state of readiness. The Marcomanni had just about covered half the distance between the two lines when they stopped. Fronto anticipated that they were going to throw their cavalry at us to soften us up. I marvelled at the way he ordered his infantry into numerous squares of fighting units. The Marcomanni cavalry charged down the hill as our men took up their positions. The infantry formed the outer ring of each square, with the protected archers within the centre of the square. The baggage train including myself and the Praetorians were in the centre of one of the squares. The infantry formed a barrier that the enemy cavalry could not infiltrate while our archers unleashed round after round of deadly arrows.

  Their cavalry was being annihilated and was soon in retreat and seeing this turn of events the Marcomanni infantry charged down the hill to retrieve the situation. It was with astonishing speed that our squares divided up and turned once again into a line of infantry several men deep. It was a rout. The disciplined Roman troops with their javelins, small round shields and short thrusting swords stood side by side in a phalanx line that could not be broken. The Marcomanni, on the other hand, were all over the place throwing themselves to their deaths on the many Roman javelins. This went on for a devastating period but the enemy were dying in such numbers that it was only a question of time before the survivors broke and ran. When they did our small cavalry went after them, cutting them down while they desperately ran in a fruitless effort to save themselves. It was mayhem and while Marcomanni bodies littered the battlefield, comparatively few Romans had been killed.

  It was a defeat from which the Marcomanni would take a very long time to recover, for it was estimated by Fronto that they had lost many thousands of men on the battlefield while we had just lost just a few hundred. The cries of the wounded and dying were a sickening sound, even if they were coming from the enemy. Our wounded were brought to the baggage train where our medics did everything they could for them. I hurried around helping where I could and marvelling at the bravery of most of the sick and wounded. The copious amounts of blood reminded me of the arena, except that this was
killing on a much larger scale. The battlefield was searched for valuables but in truth the barbarians had little that was of use to us Romans except, possibly weapons. So ended the day in which I had witnessed my first battle and such was the gruesome slaughter and the inhumanity of it all that I hoped it would be the last that I ever had to witness.

  Domitian was ebullient and I think that he believed that he won victory almost single handed, for as he kept reminding people he had come from the jaws of death to achieve a great victory, so surely he was indestructible and therefore must be a god. We did not linger long and we soon marched away triumphantly from the scene of mass slaughter. The plan was to march straight back to Cusum and after a brief stay to rejuvenate our tired forces and then continue to Singidunum to arrive there before winter set in.

  We crossed the grass plains and entered the forested areas that would take us back to Cusum in perhaps a few weeks if we made good time. There was no sign of the enemy and our movements were not harassed, and so we believed that the very heavy losses they had suffered had knocked the fight out of our foes and they had nothing left to offer. We had just made camp for the night in a clearing in the forest when I heard the sound of the alarm and looked out from my covered wagon with apprehension. It was dusk and I had been resting after a long day of tiring travelling. In the fading light I could see the smoke and flames in the distance. The camp was suddenly buzzing with activity as Fronto ordered a speedy retreat back the way we had come. Scouts were sent out to take stock of the fire and soon returned with the news that the fire was both huge and extensive. Very quickly the entire army was on the move once again in the rush to get away from the inferno.